Exercising apparatus.



No. 664,2!0. Patented Dec. I8, |900.

W J BRYON,1R EXERCISINB'APPARATUS, (Appxiemon med 1m. 2s, 1900.-,

(No Modal.)

/N VE N TOI? W/ TNE SSE S A TTOHNE Y UNITED STATES .PATENT QFFICE.

WILLIAM J. BRYON, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EXERCISING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 664,210, dated December 18, 1900.

Application filed March 28, 1900. Serial No. 10,474. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM J. BRYON, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Exercising Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part thereof.

This invention relates more particularly to that class of exercising apparatus in which an elastic cord or cords furnish the desired force or resistance to be overcome. Apparatuses of this character have been made comprising a number of pulleys and..a cord arranged to operate over said pulleys, which is elastic throughout its entire length. An apparatus thus made is desirable in that it is cheap and simple and for the further reason that the cord being elastic throughoutits entire length insures an easy and uniform resistance to the operator. A real and serious objection to such construction, however, eX- isrs in the fact that the elastic after more or less use is liable to break through some defect or Weakness in the same, and in the event of such breakage occurring` at a point between oneof "the handles and the adjacent pulley the end next the handle is liable to ily back and strike the operator or user. elastic is under any considerable degree of tension when such breakage occurs, as it is most liable to be, and the dying end of the same strikes the operator in the face, it is liable to cause serious personal injury.

Having the above in mind, it is the object of my present invention -to provide an apparatus having the desirable features of an apparatus of the character referred to, but in which the objectionable features of the same will be avoided. Such object I secure by means of the novel construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth in Adetail,.and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a front elevation of my improved apparatus, l indicates an elastic cord which passes over two upper pulleys 2 2 and under a lower intermediate pulley 3, as shown. The upper pulleys 2 2 are each provided with a swiveled eye 4, which eyes connect with the hooks 5 5 of a supporting-frame 6, the latter If the being adapted to be detachablyhu ng upon a hook, as at 7, or other support located at the proper height above the oor. Thelower intermediate pulley 3, as herein shown, is connected with the upper end of two elastic cords 8 8, the lower ends of which latter are secured in a coupling 9, which is provided with an eye 10, adapted for detachable connection with a hook l1 or other suitable support upon the floor. Anysuitable form of connection may be. had between the cords 8 8 and the v pulley 3, a desirable means, as herein shown,

being as follows: The frame or block 12 of the pulley 3 is provided with' two eyes 13 13, and the adjacent ends of the cords are provided with hooks 14 14, which detachably connect with the pulley-blockin the said eyes therein. Such detachable connection of the Velastic cords 8 S with the pulley 3 permits the resistance to be changed or varied to adapt the apparatus for different persons or for different forms of exercise, it being obvious that if it is desired to lessen the resistance such result maybe secured by disconnecting one of the elastics from the pulley, as indicated in dotted lines. Agreater variation in the resistance may be secured, if so desired, by simply increasing the'number of elastics between the coupling 9 and the pulley 3.

The elastic cord l in accordance with my invention passes over the several pulleys and terminates at its opposite endsadjacent to the upper pulleys 2 2 in non-elastic portions or cords 15 15, to the free ends of which latter are attached the handles 16 16. By this construction all the desirable features of a long elastic cord are obtained, but with the objectionable features of the same, as hereinbefore referred to, obviated, as i't will be understood that in the event of a breakage occurring in the cord between the handle and the adjacent pulley the handle-connecting end of the same being non-elastic or dead7 -will drop, while the opposite broken end will y in a direction toward the pulley and away from the operator. In'this manner all possiblity of accident to thefoperator arising from breakage of the cord will be avoided.

As herein shown, the non-elastic portions or ends l5 15 of the operating-cord are connected with the intermediate elastic portion 1 by means of couplings 17 .17. Such connec- IOO tion may be made in any suitable manner, however, Without departure from my invention. Balls or blocks 18 are located on the elastic portion 1 of the operating-cord adjacent to its ends, so as to prevent the latter running back through the pulleys and also to hold the parts in proper position and relation to each other.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An exercising apparatus, comprising a plurality of pulleys adapted for attachment to a suitable support or supports, and an operating-cord passing over said pulleys and having handles at its opposite ends, the said cord being formed with a central elastic portion of sufficient length to pass and operate over the pulleys and a non-elastic portion at each end thereof between the handle and the adjacent pulley, for the purpose set forth.

2. An exercising apparatus, comprising a pair of pulleys adapted for attachment to a suitable support, a third or intermediate pulley, an operating-cord passing over said pulleys and having handles at its opposite ends, the said oord beingl formed with a central elastic portion of suflicient length to pass and operate over the pulleys and a non-elastic p0rtion at each end thereof between the handle and the adjacent pulley, and a plurality of elastics adapted for connection at one end with a suitable support and at their opposite end connected with said third or intermediate pulley, one of said elastics being detach able from its connection, for the purpose set forth.

3. An exercising apparatus, comprising a. pair of pulleys adapted for attachment to a suitable support, a third or intermediate pulley, an elastic operating-cord of suicient length to pass and operate over said pulleys, and means having connection with said third or intermediate pulley for regulating the tension of said elastic operating-cord.

WILLIAM J. BRYON, JR.

lVitnesses:

OHAs. F. DANE, M. L. FoRREsT. 

